Wrath Read online

  EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2016 Jenika Snow

  ISBN: 978-1-77339-020-8

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Karyn White

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  WRATH

  Jenika Snow

  Copyright © 2016

  Author’s Note

  It is suggested Tank’s Property (The Brothers of Menace, 8) be read before Wrath to fully understand the characters and what they are going through, as this story starts where Tank’s Property left off.

  Prologue

  The past

  Wrath had always wanted Lila, but keeping his distance was for the best. At least that was what he kept telling himself, even if he was fighting an internal war about it. But just staring at her had this dark longing inside of him, this possessive desire to just take her for his own, to claim her, until it was like another being inside of him.

  Fuck.

  Wrath had wanted Lila for so damn it took up his thoughts … his very life. He’d known her since she was a girl, and at first his affection for her had been almost brotherly, as in he wanted to protect her. Hell, he’d beaten the shit out of plenty of assholes that had so much as eye-fucked her.

  But then that affection had grown to something possessive over the years … something akin to obsession.

  Who the fuck was he kidding? He was obsessed with her.

  But for as much as he wanted Lila, he’d never cross that line. She was Brendan’s sister. Brendan being Wrath’s best friend meant he wasn’t about to fuck with that. He didn’t want bad blood. But that also meant he wouldn’t let some motherfucker get to Lila either. He may never claim her as his, but he wouldn’t let some prick have her either.

  He stared at her from across the room. They were partying at the abandoned warehouse where they usually hung out, but Wrath kept his distance, despite the fact he watched her intently. He brought his beer bottle to his mouth, took a long drink from it, and focused on Lila. She was gorgeous, with her long dark hair and slender body.

  She was talking to some little asshole, and the way she laughed at whatever the bastard said set Wrath on edge. The thought of her even talking to anyone else pissed him off, but he’d hang back and not make a scene.

  But if the little shit tries to touch her … yeah, there will be issues.

  “What’s up, man?”

  Wrath looked over at Brendan. Lila’s brother stood beside him, a beer in hand and his focus on the group of people drinking and smoking pot just a few feet from them.

  “Who’s the asshole talking to Lila?” Wrath asked, knowing he probably should have kept his fucking mouth shut, but not caring right now. He was getting too juiced just seeing some asshole with Lila, even if it was in an innocent manner.

  Wrath might have been a decade older than Lila, but fuck did he want to go to her and tell every last bastard she was his. She was of age now, a woman, and he wanted nothing more than to stake his claim.

  “Just some punk that came with Giggy to the party,” Brendan said and took another swig of his beer. “Why do you care? He fucking with her?” Brendan sounded on alert now, the prospect of someone messing with his baby sister clearly pissing him off.

  Wrath sensed Brendan looking at him, and he glanced over. “I care because it’s Lila,” was all he said. He didn’t need to admit it was because he was fucking jealous of any asshole talking to her. She’d been in his life for a long ass time, and that was a good enough reason to keep her safe from any little fuckers that wanted to get between her legs.

  “Well, I’m watching him, too,” Brendan said.

  Wrath went back to looking at Lila, and every part of him tensed when the guy reached out and pushed a lock of her hair off her shoulder. She moved back, and he saw the fact she didn’t like that written across her face. The guy inched closer, said something, and Lila shook her head and went to move away. But the fucker grabbed her arm, stopping her.

  Oh. Fuck. No.

  Wrath set his beer down and stalked over to where they were. Before he could try to control himself and think this out rationally, he was lifting the guy up by the collar of his shirt and bringing him up to eye level. He stared at the prick for long seconds, his anger rising, and a tangible force coming from him. It was clear on the guy’s face he realized he’d fucked up.

  “You don’t fucking touch her,” Wrath gritted out, the prick about half a foot shorter than his six-foot-six frame. The guy had wide eyes, started mumbling his apologies, and although Wrath wanted to knock his head off, the feel of Lila touching his arm had him stilling. He looked over at her, saw her shake her head, that pleading in her eyes, and Wrath instantly tossed the guy aside. He fell back on the ratty chair they had by the trashcan fire, but the force from how hard Wrath had tossed his ass had him falling backward.

  “He’s not worth it,” Lila said softly.

  Wrath couldn’t help but stare into her big blue eyes. She was so fucking beautiful, and he loved her so damn much.

  He clenched his jaw, turned back to the fucker, who was now standing, and growled low like some kind of beast. “You touch her again, hell, even look in her direction, and I’ll rip your dick off and shove it down your throat. You fucking understand me?”

  The atmosphere was tense, the music still blasting through, but everyone was silent. The prick nodded, and without saying anything he turned and left.

  “You brought him here,” Wrath turned and said to Giggy. “You fucking leave with him.”

  Giggy nodded and left, and after a few moments the party commenced.

  Wrath looked at Lila once more, saw Brendan standing off to the side looking unaffected at what he had just seen, and Wrath knew his control was paper-thin when it came to Lila.

  Fuck.

  God help anyone that tried to hurt her, because if he ever found out that she was compromised in anyway … yeah, Wrath would have no problem taking lives and watching the bodies pile up at his feet.

  ****

  Wrath was unstable, Lila knew that, but there was a part of her that couldn’t help but be drawn to the bad boy that he was.

  No, not a bad boy—a dangerous man.

  But she knew he’d never hurt her. In fact, he’d only ever protect her. She knew that deep down to the very core of her soul.

  Lila watched Wrath move back to stand beside Brendan, and the two of them talked for several moments, the atmosphere still tense, Wrath still looking angry.

  She’d been in love with Wrath for longer than she could remember, but she knew being with him would never happen. He had a lot of issues, as did they all, but Wrath’s problems went down to the marrow. He let his rage control every part of him, let that darkness shape him. How could she let her heart get mixed up with a man that was dangerous and didn’t care if he lived or died? How could she let go of what she wanted, the life she’d pictured for herself, for a chance of happiness with Wrath? He relished, lived for, hurting people who crossed him or her and Brendan. He was feared, did illegal things, and didn’t care about the outcome.

  But despite all of that, she still wanted him, wanted to know what it would be like to give herself over to a very potent man. But Lila was too afraid, even to admit to herself or anyone else how she felt toward Wrath.

  Was it wrong she was wet and aroused over what she’d j
ust seen Wrath do to the guy she’d been talking with? Truth was the man she’d been speaking with was harmless, and although he’d grabbed her hand to try to make her stay when she was going to go, the fact Wrath had been there, gotten so territorial and extreme over the situation, turned her on.

  She looked at him again, saw his focus was on her, and she felt her face heat. Every part of her lit up because of Wrath, but she couldn’t be with him. She knew that. He had a lot of baggage, a lot of his own demons he needed to deal with. She might not see him with other women, didn’t hear rumors of man-whoring ways, but that didn’t mean he didn’t let off steam with a willing female. Hell, he had to. He was all testosterone and male prowess.

  He had to find an outlet for all that … masculinity.

  A shiver worked through her at that thought.

  God, what I wouldn’t give to be Wrath’s outlet, to feel him pumping into me, poised above me as he let loose all that aggression and intensity.

  Wouldn’t it be so easy just to let go and be with him?

  She saw the way he watched her, looked at her, but maybe that was just him being protective? Maybe that was just him seeing her as nothing more than Brendan’s sister?

  She turned her focus from Wrath, not allowing herself to think about him or what she wanted anymore. They were dangerous thoughts and desires, and she knew if she caved and told Wrath how she felt, she might get her heart broken.

  But would it be worth it? Would a moment of truth, a realization and admission from him that he wanted her, too, be worth her heart getting torn in two?

  Chapter One

  Present day

  Lila lay in bed, the sound of stillness, silence, surrounding her. She turned her head and looked at Faye who was sleeping peacefully in the crib beside the bed. She was staying with Tank and Bunny until she could get on her feet and start her own life. She didn’t like staying with her brother and his old lady, not because she didn’t like their company, but because they needed to have their own space. But with no money, and Lila being too proud to take money from Tank or the club, she was stuck here until she made enough to be on her own.

  But she worked hard at the MC, learning some of the bookwork and doing cleaning around the club, so she was slowly saving up.

  But will I stay in town or move on?

  It was a hard question, probably harder to her than others. She wanted to stay by Tank because he was her only family. They’d been through so much together. But by the same token she knew her brother needed his own life, and needed to get away from the shitty past they had.

  And because of my mistakes, and what I got myself into, I brought hell to Brendan and the club.

  Sitting up because she couldn’t sleep, Lila breathed out. Events from the past played through her mind, and Wrath was a constant presence in her thoughts.

  Where was he now? What was he doing? How was he?

  It had been several months since all that shit had gone down with Spike, Wrath, and the MC. And in that time she’d been thinking about how she’d done things differently.

  Wrath had been injured, and although he’d been alive and healing after the fact, she wished she could see him, talk to him … hell, do everything differently.

  Looking at Faye again, Lila couldn’t help but smile. After everything that had gone down with Spike, the fact he’d been a sadistic man that had inflicted far too much pain on others, she was glad for one thing that had come out of being with him.

  Her daughter, Faye.

  The baby stretched and made a little noise, and Lila’s heart lurched with happiness. She checked on the baby once more, and then turned and left the room quietly. Making her way to the kitchen, she grabbed a glass and poured herself some water. The house was still, quiet, yet it felt like she had a million thoughts and voices running through her head.

  Lila stared out the window above the sink, thinking about Wrath, about what she wished she had done back in the day.

  God, how stupid I was not to go with my heart. How stupid I was to try to rationalize why I couldn’t be with him.

  The sound of a door softly opening and closing, and then the sound of someone coming closer, had Lila turning and staring at the kitchen entryway. Tank walked through in nothing but a pair of sweatpants, his head lowered, and his hand on his head as he scrubbed his palm over his hair. He looked tired, but then again it was the middle of the night.

  “Hey,” she said softly as to not wake Faye or Bunny.

  Tank stopped and looked up at her. “Hey,” he responded in a deep, sleep-filled voice. “What are you doing up?”

  She shrugged and watched him walk over to the cupboard. “I couldn’t sleep.”

  He grabbed a glass and went over to stand beside her at the sink. He used one arm to pull her in close, and then kissed the top of her head. Nothing was said as he got himself some water out of the tap and finished it off.

  They stood there side-by-side. Neither spoke, but the silence was comfortable. Finally, Tank cleared his throat.

  “Want to talk about what’s on your mind?”

  She didn’t look at her brother for long seconds, not sure if she should bring up Wrath. She had never told Tank how she felt, but she didn’t know if he’d ever suspected anything throughout the years.

  “Come and sit with me,” Tank said, and they made their way to the table.

  Tank held the chair out for her, and once they were both seated she felt his gaze on her. But for long seconds she just stared down at the table, her thoughts on Wrath, one what had happened, and on what the future held for her and Faye.

  “Lila, talk to me,” Tank said softly, and a second later he reached out and held her hand. He gave it a squeeze, and she lifted her head to stare at him in the eyes.

  He was her big brother, the one person that had always been there for her no matter what.

  He’d never judge her, never make her feel less than what she was.

  Just tell him.

  “You know we can talk about anything, right?”

  She nodded after he spoke.

  “Then what’s on your mind?” He gave her hand another squeeze, and she leaned back and breathed out.

  “I’ve just been thinking a lot about the past few months.”

  He nodded, but stayed silent. She stared into his eyes, ones that had always looked at her with warmth, love, and compassion. He was so strong, so tough and dangerous, but with her he’d always just been her big brother, the one that had always kept the monsters at bay.

  And Wrath. Wrath had always been there for me, had always given me his strength.

  “I’ve been thinking about Wrath, about how there is so much I want to say to him.”

  Tank didn’t speak, but his look was knowing, and she wondered if he saw more than what she’d said.

  Of course he does. He picks up on everything, even if it’s not obvious.

  “You want to talk to Wrath?” Tank asked, and she found herself nodding.

  “I know things are … off with him after what happened. But he’s been in my life for so long, and I hate that I feel this hole in my life.” She stared at her brother, and although he kept his expression stoic, she could see in the depths of his eyes he knew what she meant.

  “He’s distanced himself.”

  “But you still talk to him?”

  Tank nodded and leaned back in his chair. They didn’t speak, and she waited for Tank to say what she knew was on his mind.

  “Yeah, we still talk, but I can tell he’s different.” Tank rested his forearm on the table and stared at her. “And I know it’s because he thought he let you and Bunny down when all that shit went on with that fucker Spike.”

  Juts hearing the name of Faye’s father had Lila’s stomach twisting in discomfort. Spike had been the leader of some wannabe MC gang, but before she knew how bad he really was, before she knew his sadistic and violent ways, he’d been someone she thought she could be with, that maybe she could be happy. He’d been hardcore, but kind to h
er.

  That hadn’t lasted, and she found out far too late that she couldn’t break away from the bastard.

  She’d been with Spike less than a year when she found out she was pregnant, and although she’d planned on ending it with him before finding out, she knew things with him would be like a living hell. He’d changed so much, frightened her, and she didn’t know if she’d survive trying to get away from him.

  She’d feared for her unborn baby.

  And then she’d thought about Tank, and why she’d never told him about the pregnancy, or about how awful Spike had really been.

  She had been ashamed, scared of disappointing her brother. She’d also—stupidly—thought she could fix her own mistakes.

  Lila had waited until Faye had been born before she had left. Staying there with Spike would have meant he hurt the baby he’d never wanted, and that was something Lila would never stand for.

  But that was all in the past now. Dotty, the club whore who had helped her give birth, who had been there for her the entire time, and who had so much thrown at her from Spike and his crew, was doing well. She seemed happy, although reserved.

  I’m just glad she’s away from all of that.

  Lila shook her head to clear her thoughts. Staring at her brother again, she thought of Wrath. He’d always been on her mind, even when he’d gone to prison. Even when she’d been with Spike. She’d tried to move on from her feelings for him, but it had never worked. They had never even dimmed. She loved him so much, and it was painful keeping this in any longer. Lila didn’t want to hide what she felt. She didn’t want to pretend she could live without Wrath in her life.

  He was dangerous, was a drug dealer, and dealt in all things corrupt. But God, she wanted him in her life.

  She wanted him to be with her.

  “He loves you,” Tank said.